"I took a topographic map and picked out on it, by means of the contour lines and the blank space showing no settlement, what seemed to be the wildest part of these regions; and there I went."--Horace Kephart, 1922

Horace Kephart was a St. Louis librarian who became one of the founding fathers of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I was a Missouri journalism student when I discovered his epic "Our Southern Highlanders." In my own way, I have been plodding in his footsteps ever since.

Since my all-too-short Boy Scout days, I have had a fascination with mountains and maps. In my dotage, I have been delighted to discover peakbagger.com, cohp.org, and listsofjohn.com. I appreciate the insights of everyone who contributes to these websites. You inspire my explorations, guide my paths, and put my wanderings in context.

I post trip reports for all my hikes on Peakbagger and occasionally blog about my ramblings on tomlayton.blogspot.com. The blog also has a schedule of my upcoming hikes, in case you'd like to come along. Most weekends, I'm walking somewhere in NC, TN, VA, or SC.

I was raised in Anderson SC, worked 20 years as a sportswriter in Greenville SC, and have lived since 1999 in Boone NC, where I serve as print editor for the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse.

From 2007 through 2011, I volunteered with the crew that built the summit trail to Elk Knob in my home county of Watauga NC. The view atop Elk Knob (5550+) is well worth the walk. I have seen 5 states (SC/NC/KY/VA/TN) and 32 county high points from the summit. There may be as many as 41 COHPs visible, including one 150 miles away, according to peakfinder.org. Adjacent Snake Mountain (5560+) has a similar panorama. I would be interested in any other location where over 30 COHPs are visible.